Epilogue: Different Destinations
by can
Summary: After the credits roll


My thanks to Neuroscpr for reading, and his suggestions.  
  
  
  
  
  
Epilogue: Different Destinations  
  
This is a possible ending after the credits roll  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them  
  
  
  
Everyone was silent on the pod as they returned to Moya. Aeryn attempted to start a conversation with John, but his saddened eyes told her he was not ready to talk.  
  
The pod finally docked where Chiana and Jool met them.  
  
" John, Aeryn. What really happened on the planet?" Chiana asked anxiously.  
  
John waved his hand at Chiana on the way to his quarters and said " Not now Chiana."  
  
" Aeryn?" Chiana asked.  
  
" As you know things did not go as well as we had hoped." Aeryn replied watching John walk away. "Chiana, we'll have to talk about this later." The worry was evident on Aeryn's face.  
  
" Yeah, I know." replied Chiana seeing the emptiness in John's eyes and the worry on Aeryn's face. "D'Argo can tell me."  
  
D'Argo nodded with sadness, feeling guilty because they had blamed Crichton for what happened. They didn't mean it. It was just the lack of a plan and being in the midst of battle. But still they had blamed Crichton!  
  
'Frell, we were all there. Why do we always blame him when things go wrong,' D'Argo thought to himself.  
  
" Well D'Argo?" Chiana was still trying to get someone to tell her what had gone wrong.  
  
Chiana's voice had snapped the Luxan out of his deep thought.  
  
" Not now Chiana!" D'Argo snapped in anger, briskly walking away.  
  
"D'Argo where are you going. You promised!" Chiana stopped calling out to D'Argo and said to herself, I guess no one wants to talk right now.  
  
  
  
In his cell John lay on the bed, arm swung over his eyes. He was in deep thought over what had happened. 'I totally frelled things up! I wanted to save them but couldn't. Why did I have to be so sure of myself? D'Argo and Aeryn are right, I just totally frell things up!'  
  
Tears were welling up in John's eyes as his thoughts continued. 'Well Johnny boy whatcha gonna do now? Who ya gonna try to help next? With this thought, the tears started rolling down his face.  
  
Aeryn was outside his cell. Her heart was breaking as she heard the muffled whimpers of the man she loved.  
  
Aeryn's thoughts were pleading, 'Oh Zhaan, I need you now. How do I help him?'  
  
As the tears were welling up in Aeryn's eyes, she berated herself for the things she had said to him on the planet. 'How could I have been so heartless, and not see you were trying your best. Why didn't I help you instead of fight you? Frell, I even let them tie you up, and felt you deserved it.'  
  
Aeryn quietly stepped into John's cell.  
  
" John?" Aeryn asked quietly. "Would you like to talk?"  
  
" Uh.No Aeryn. Not right now. Just want to be left alone." John was consumed with guilt, and talking would be too painful right now.  
  
"Alright John. When you are ready let me know." Aeryn said as she turned and walked to her cell.  
  
D'Argo was pacing the floor in his cell. He kept seeing the torment on John's face, the anguish in his eyes. ' John feels more sorrow than we do. We blamed him for frelling everything up.'  
  
D'Argo instantly felt shame, as he realized how they had acted towards him on the planet. 'How could I have let my comrade down? I didn't stand behind him. Frell, I stood by and watched the nurse point a gun at John, and did nothing to stop her.'  
  
D'Argo's thoughts were interrupted by a presence in the room. He looked over his shoulder and saw Chiana standing in the doorway.  
  
"Hey D'Argo." Chiana said hesitantly. "You look troubled. Can we talk?"  
  
"What now Chiana?" D'Argo asked.  
  
"Please tell me what the frell everyone is so upset about. I know the nurses died, but there is more going on."  
  
"Chiana, I don't think you would understand. You are not a warrior." At that moment D'Argo wished he could love her again.  
  
"Why does everyone think I can't understand anything? I'm frelling tired of it!" Shouted Chiana. "I care about all of you, and all I see is you brooding, Crichton looking like dren and Aeryn hiding in her cell! Tell me D'Argo so I can help!"  
  
Her outburst startled him.  
  
"You are right." D'Argo said. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to talk about betraying a friend, and that's what we did."  
  
"Talk to me D'Argo." Chiana persisted.  
  
"Alright Chiana! I will tell you!" D'Argo said in a raised voice. "This is what we did." D'Argo was pacing the floor again. "When everything went wrong we blamed Crichton. Even though we were all there, it was Crichton."  
  
"Frell!" D'Argo's said, his voice even louder now. "When the nurses tied him up and threatened to kill him, we just stood by and did nothing!"  
  
Chiana was wincing at the anger in his voice.  
  
D'Argo suddenly slammed his fist on the table causing Chiana to jump! "Do you see now Chiana?" D'Argo asked looking into her eyes. "We betrayed our friend. A man that would give his life for any one of us."  
  
"I'm ashamed, Chiana." D'Argo said dropping his head. The tirade was over.  
  
Chiana hesitantly put her hand on his shoulder, ready for it to be rejected. It wasn't.  
  
She thought about how much pain they were in. She swallowed hard, trying to get her thoughts together before speaking. She could only imagine what John was going through.  
  
"D'Argo?" Chiana spoke quietly. "As soon as you guys entered the tear, everything started changing on the planet. We saw it from Moya. There was no way to save the nurses. Time had already been altered. There was no way anyone was responsible for what happened."  
  
D'Argo lifted his head. There were tears in his eyes. "I know that now Chiana. But how do we make John understand. Our betrayal of him is most of the problem. How do we take back our words and actions?" D'Argo took a deep breath and straightened himself.  
  
Chiana thought about this for a few moments. "You can't D'Argo. All you can do is say you are sorry and show him by your actions. John is a very forgiving person. He is your friend. We can let him know there was nothing he could have done to save the nurses. The rest will take time."  
  
Chiana reached out for the Luxan and put her arms around him. She brought him over to his bed and just sat there and rocked him. "D'Argo everything will be ok."  
  
John awoke in the middle of the sleep cycle. He was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep anymore. All of the thoughts of the last few days were back.  
  
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and dropped his head in his hands. 'Damn headache. Hell I am just having all the luck! Maybe Jool can give me something. Well time to start the day, John thought as he was getting to his feet. Hell at least the thoughts will stop.maybe.  
  
"Pilot," commed John.  
  
"Yes commander."  
  
"I'm going to get something to eat and head to the maintenance bay. Is everything ok in command?" John asked as he finished dressing.  
  
"Of course commander," Pilot replied. "But you should still be in the middle of the sleep cycle."  
  
"Naw Pilot, can't sleep anymore," John replied.  
  
This worried Pilot, but he knew it would do no good to argue. "Of course commander. I will let you know if we should need you." Pilot sent Blue to watch over Crichton.  
  
As John was walking to the mess he saw the little DRD. "Hey Blue, gonna keep me company? Follow me, you're what I need right now. You can't talk back."  
  
Aeryn heard John leave his cell. Her heart ached to follow him. But what would she say?  
  
She had done nothing to help the situation.  
  
In her heart, at the moment, she knew she blamed Crichton for sub-officer Dakon's death. But why? 'I knew he was destined to die. It was part of history. How stupid of me to blame Crichton. He was just following history as I told him.'  
  
'Frell me for judging him as I have!' Aeryn winced at her own thoughts.  
  
"Pilot?" commed Aeryn.  
  
"Yes Office Sun. I see you are awake also," replied Pilot.  
  
"Where is Commander Crichton?" asked Aeryn.  
  
"He is on his way to the mess and then to the maintenance bay. I have sent a DRD to watch over him."  
  
"Thank you Pilot. I will also be heading that way."  
  
"Um, Officer Sun, if I may say, perhaps he needs more time," replied Pilot. "It seems the commander is very troubled right now."  
  
Aeryn thought about what Pilot said. "Pilot, you think I should wait?"  
  
"For now, Officer Sun. I will advise you if he should need you."  
  
"Thank you, Pilot," Aeryn said quietly. 'Even Pilot thinks I should stay away!'  
  
John was sitting in the mess hall toying with his food cubes, deep in thought.  
  
"Well Blue looks like I've really made a mess of things this time. The nurses died and my friends don't trust me anymore," Crichton said staring into nowhere. "No reason they should. I have let everybody down."  
  
D'Argo had left Chiana sleeping in his quarters. After Chiana had fallen asleep, D'Argo wanted to walk about the ship and clear his mind. Chiana had helped him sort a lot of things out, but he still needed to find a way to make things right with John again. He was surprised when he heard John's voice coming from the mess hall.  
  
He had heard some of what John said, and decided he needed to talk to him. D'Argo swallowed hard and walked into the doorway of the mess hall.  
  
"John," D'Argo said quietly so as not to startle him.  
  
The sudden voice broke John away from his thoughts. With anguished eyes, John looked to D'Argo and then looked away. He couldn't look him in the eyes just yet.  
  
D'Argo saw the look, but it didn't stop him. "John," D'Argo said softly, "I'm sorry. Sorry for so many things."  
  
"Nothing for you to be sorry for big guy. It's my own fault," John said staring off into space.  
  
"John, listen to me!" D'Argo said more forcefully than he meant to. "It was not your fault! We were all there. Once we entered the tear history changed and there was nothing any of us could do about it! Chiana saw the changes happening as soon as we entered the tear."  
  
John glanced at the Luxan now, becoming agitated. "D'Argo I screwed everything up! The nurses died and they should have lived! I made some bad decisions!"  
  
"John you are not listening to me! There wasn't any way to put the timeline back."  
  
John was still not looking at him.  
  
D'Argo strode quickly over to Crichton and grabbed both his arms from across the table.  
  
He lifted him to a standing position and said, "John! Look at me and listen!"  
  
John raised his eyes to meet the Luxans.  
  
"The nurses died when we entered the tear!" D'Argo lowered his voice. " Do you understand now?"  
  
Pilot had been monitoring the conversation in the mess hall between Crichton and D'Argo. When the Luxan approached John and grabbed him, Pilot commed Aeryn.  
  
"Office Sun?" commed Pilot. "I think Commander Crichton may need your help in the mess. It seems D'Argo and the commander are arguing.  
  
"On my way Pilot." Aeryn took off running. 'Please, D'Argo don't hurt him!' Aeryn pleaded in her mind.  
  
John looked at D'Argo in suspicion. "D'Argo, just forget it. I know what happened. We all do, we were there."  
  
"John if you don't believe me ask Chiana and Pilot. They saw it happening from Moya."  
  
John looked away from the Luxan, trying to sort this new information in his mind.  
  
D'Argo saw the tears start to well up in John's eyes. He thought they looked like tears of relief. He hoped.  
  
"So what you are saying is, when we entered the tear, history took on a new dimension." John said thinking about what this implied.  
  
"I guess we are saying the same thing Crichton." D'Argo continued, "There is something else I need to talk to you about."  
  
The exhaustion was creeping back into John's voice, "What's that D'Argo?" John asked rubbing his aching eyes.  
  
D'Argo dropped his head and took a deep breath before looking at Crichton again. "I am sorry John for not standing by you on the planet. You are my comrade and I betrayed you. I can't forgive myself for that.  
  
John looked totally confused by this turn of events.  
  
"What are you talking about D'Argo?"Crichton asked confused.  
  
The Luxan looked at John intently, the shame returning "John when everything went wrong I blamed you. I watched them tie you up and threaten to kill you and I stood by and did nothing. I am a warrior, and a warrior never betrays his comrades. I betrayed you and for that I am truly ashamed. I ask your forgiveness. I will I understand if you can't grant me this."  
  
John didn't know what to say. D'Argo's plea had taken him by surprise. To John this was secondary to the nurse's death. Besides it was something John really didn't want to think about now. The current pain was enough to have to deal with.  
  
Choosing his words carefully, John said, "D'Argo, maybe I got what I deserved. The rest of you had nothing to do with releasing the General. I did it on my own."  
  
"But John, we were there also,"D'Argo sadly replied. We had no right to put the blame on you. I just want you to give me the chance to show you I stand beside you always. I am sorry, John."  
  
"Well now that you mention it big guy, I did kinda wonder why none of you tried to help me. I'd guess you were angry with me. It hurts but I'll live. D'Argo, I'll go to battle any day with you by my side." John said holding his hand out for the Luxan.  
  
D'Argo looked at John's hand and thought 'how could he forgive me so easily. Chiana was right, he is a true friend. I will accept it and be true to my word.'  
  
"Thank you, John. I won't let you down again," D'Argo said shaking John's hand.  
  
"John, something else. Aeryn." D'Argo stopped when Aeryn entered the room.  
  
"Thank you D'Argo," Aeryn said quietly.  
  
"I will apologize for listening. Pilot thought there was going to be a fight between the both of you so he called me," Aeryn said in a tired voice.  
  
"D'Argo, I think we all understand that we couldn't have made a difference," Aeryn said with relief. "I only wish we had known sooner."  
  
"John, I have had a lot of time to think," Aeryn said sadly, " and I will admit I was angry with you."  
  
"Sub-officer Dakon?" John asked.  
  
Aeryn nodded.  
  
"John I am sorry. I know how much this must have hurt you," Aeryn said holding her breath, ready to flee, in case of rejection.  
  
John put his hand on her chin and turned her face towards him.  
  
"Trust me when I say this Aeryn," John said passionately looking into her eyes, "I would never want to go into battle without you and D'Argo by my side."  
  
D'Argo was fighting the tears that threatened again. John's compassion amazed D'Argo.  
  
Aeryn could no longer fight the tears. Complete exhaustion had set in with John's words and the tears started to flow freely.  
  
John rubbed his thumb over her quivering lips and simply said, "You are my family. Let's put this behind us and get on with whatever life the Unchartered Territories will give us."  
  
Aeryn brought both her hands up to his face and smiled through the tears. John placed his arms around her shoulders and led her out of the mess hall and to their quarters, waving a hand at D'Argo on their way out. 


End file.
